Sainsbury’s — Where Diversity is valued
It was sometime in the first half of the 2000’s, after modding my favourite video game for the first time, that I decided I wanted to work in tech. Without knowing much about computer science, I decided to accomplish this dream, becoming a software developer. Growing up on a small French Caribbean Island, Internet was a portal to the rest of the world. All I wanted to know was online, I could download tools to mod games, make awful looking websites, learn foreign languages, learning programming languages, everything was a few clicks away. That was good content, but the internet doesn’t provide the experience of living a different culture. I had to get this experience by myself.
In my research about software engineering, I figured with such a career I wouldn’t be bound to a location. The school counsellor was positive, “with your grades in scientific and engineering subjects, you will have no trouble going into CS”. I checked all the boxes.
Months before leaving, my parents and their friends warned me I was to expect a surprise abroad. Rampant racism, closed doors and glass ceilings, none of which I should be afraid of, I was told, but rather vigilant. Without mistaken, I faced those challenges.
Freshly graduated from college I’m off to Paris.
From my small island diversity was a foreign concept although I was bathing in it. This concept only took meaning once I moved to France. Before that I took it for granted. My friends and entourage looked like a Benetton campaign on a budget — three models top.
Moving to Paris, I experienced many first times. Amongst them, my first time being a minority, first time being discriminated against. The shower was cold.
So here I am, 7000 Km from everything I know, pursuing a masters degree in computer science. To my surprise my university group was very diverse. I went to Paris 8, a university in the Parisian Suburbs. Most of the attendees come from old French colonies and overseas territories. I’ve never seen so many different nationalities in one place Vietnam, Tunisia, Algeria, China, Burma, Canada, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria, Ivory Coast, Senegal...
During our first lecture one of our teachers told us: “You don’t realise the chance you have. We need software engineers, but so few people want to pursue a career in this field. You’ll find a job anywhere, and look around you, those are the people you are going to work with.”
The university was advertising its diversity and I chose it for this reason. By my first lecture I knew I made the right choice.
But here is the cold shower.
I had to make myself seen and heard for the landlord to acknowledge my presence, go above and beyond compared to everyone else when their mere presence was enough.
The first months were not all pleasant. Hoping the warning I received when leaving home would never manifest, I was wrong.
Looking for an apartment, a rite of passage for students, came with an extra flavour leaving a bitter taste.
After contacting a landlord a group viewing was scheduled. On the day of the viewing we were five people waiting, all students, I was the only black person in the group.
My name is as French as a good wine and my accent doesn’t give away my islander origin when speaking French, so the landlord must have been surprised when he first saw me waiting for the viewing. I’m only guessing his surprise as he avoided eye contact during the whole viewing… Only with me, everybody else had a warm welcome. I had to make myself seen and heard for the landlord to acknowledge my presence, go above and beyond compared to everyone else when their mere presence was enough. Within the first minutes of the visit, I knew I wouldn’t get the place.
That first visit left me shocked for days. For the first time in my life I felt unwelcome. I had just started a journey on a 5 years degree but after that experience I wasn’t sure I would make it.
A month passed and I finally found a house, not a tiny Parisian apartment, a house. The landlord, a retired doctor, who became a farmer was living in the east of France and coming every other weekend to sell her products on the farmers market. She would bring me products from her farm and we would talk about her travels when she was younger. One of the most generous and kind person I have met.
Since I’ve graduated I’ve spent most of my professional career in France, working as a contractor for companies and clients who put diversity and gender equality at the forefront of their values. One of the agencies terminated a contract with its client after he asked for the contractor to be replaced by a man as he felt “a man would be more suited for the role”. “We have no business to do with this company then”, the CEO said. For my last contract in Paris, the director of engineering formed a team around diversity, “it offers better outcomes when you have different points of view and different ways of thinking, working together”, he said to me during the interview. When I left Paris I wasn’t sure what I would find in Manchester, good beer for a start, and what I found was a different way of working diversely.
The differences between French and English sense of community is for a different post, the common strive for diversity and gender equality although less visible here is nonetheless more vocal and active. Our societies are going through constant changes. Failing to adapt and ignoring the voices of those who make our societies would be a loss.
Throughout my journey from my small Caribbean Island to the homeland of Alan Turing, I experienced first hand what it feels to be excluded for simply looking different. From this I have learnt to not waste my time and energy with bigoted people, companies, time and society will out-pass them.
Since I have joined Sainsbury’s a year ago, the face of the Manchester engineering team has changed. As an engineer, teamwork and being open minded is important. Sainsbury’s promotes inclusion and diversity and those words are followed with actions.
The company offers its colleagues a voice and makes sure to include everyone in the conversation. Promoting STEM careers, providing safe spaces where we can discuss topics important to us and which make us.
Recognising our shortcomings and adapting to an ever changing society is a duty.
For the first time in my career I joined a brave conversation. For the first time I’m part of a company with a diversity committee.
Inclusion starts with I and I feel included.
